Elderly Advice
by Lariren-Shadow
Summary: During a storm Zuko gives so advice to a brooding Mako.


**A/N**: Written for be-the-peaf prompt "rain." I think I'm going to do a series that's old!Zuko giving advice to Korra characters. I've already done Iroh, Mako twice now, and a drabble with Eska.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own.

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The monsoons came early this year. Which meant that now Zuko was stuck with four teenagers hiding from horrible criminals in his house on Ember Island.

"Ugh how much longer do we have to stay here?" Korra complained as she lay on the couch.

"Until the White Lotus has a better idea where Zaheer and his team are. For now this is at least a nice place for you to rest," Zuko told her.

Korra sat up. "But I'm not a kid anymore and I should be out there tracking down Zaheer!"

"You're a kid who's managed to get herself banned from the United Republic and all the lands in the Earth Kingdom the Queen rules. If you wait for information on where Zaheer is then you can go ambush him without traipsing through all the places you're banned from," Zuko clarified.

"Stupid Earth Queen and stupid Raiko," she muttered as she flopped back down.

"I'm going to make some tea," Zuko said before leaving the teens to themselves. He sighed once he was out of the room. If this was how their entire time here was going to go he'd have to figure out something. He was much too old to be dealing with slightly moody teenagers. He mentally apologized to all his friends for any of his moodiness when he was a teenager. He made tea enough for five (calming tea) and brought it out on a tray. As he walked back into his living room he heard a screech. "What?"

"Watch out Lord Zuko! You stepped on Pabu's tail!" Bolin said as he rushed forward to scoop up the fire ferret. "There there, little guy, I'm sure it was an accident," Bolin cooed.

Zuko tried very very hard not to make a comment about animals running underfoot (he'd said it many, many times at the Air Temple to Bumi and Kya). He set the tray down and began handing out cups. It was only then that he realized he was missing a teenager. "Where's, uh…" he trailed off, having forgotten the boy's name already. He hadn't been very social the entire time.

"Mako?" Korra supplied.

"He's in his room doing paperwork. Or at least that's what he's saying but I don't think Beifong actually gave him anything and it's just his go to excuse," Bolin said with a shrug.

"Hm, he could still use some tea." Zuko picked up the tray again and headed for Mako's room.

"That's probably not going to work," Asami called after him. Zuko ignored her warning.

He knocked on the boy's room. "Go away Bolin" was the response he got. Well he wasn't Bolin and this was his house he could go in if he wanted. "I said go away." The boy was lying on his bed, obviously not working. Zuko knew that pose very well.

"I'm not your brother and you should stop brooding and go join your friends," Zuko told the boy as he set the tray down on dresser.

Mako sat up quickly. "Sorry sir, but I would like to be left alone. I mean no disrespect and I'm sure the tea is nice but I do have work and I was just taking a little break." While Mako was talking Zuko grabbed the chair from the desk (which did, in fact, have police files scattered on it) and brought it over to the bed to face Mako.

"That sounds all well and good but you're still brooding," Zuko told him. He brought over the cups of tea and hand them to Mako before sitting down. "Now we can have a nice cup of tea and you can either tell me what's wrong or we can drink in silence but talking might help."

"How would you know," Mako muttered.

Zuko laughed. "I was a brooding teenager once with problems of my own. Not to mention I'm a father and there were many discussions of how life was not fair and I was not fair. But I can wait."

Zuko watched Mako sip his tea. The boy kept avoiding looking at him. Just about when he assumed that nothing was going to come of this Mako spoke: "look I just...it's still so awkward with them."

"Did you send an assassin after them?" Zuko asked.

Mako spat out his tea. "What? No!"

"And you didn't stand by and watch someone basically kill Korra, right?"

"No!"

"Ok then there's nothing for you to feel awkward about, go down there and be with your friends," Zuko said calmly.

"How is that even advice?"

Zuko shrugged. "I did all those things before joining Team Avatar. It was awkward at first but it got better and we were friends for life. So whatever it is you think you did it's not as bad as that."

Mako looked at his hands. "I dated both Asami and Korra and kissed the other while I was not dating her. I broke up with both of them, twice."

Zuko laughed until his sides hurt. "That's it?" he gasped between chuckles. "All this over a couple of break ups?"

"Well, yeah."

"Do you know how many times Mai and I broke up? I lost count and she still tried after we got married!"

"Really?"

"Yes, apparently her morning sickness with Honora was all my fault and she hated the sight of me so she broke up with me, especially after I offered her ginger tea to calm her stomach. The smell actually made it worse."

"And you still loved her?"

"Kid, I still loved her when I broke up with her and locked her in a prison cell. You're going to make some stupid decisions but your friends will be there no matter what. So stop brooding and get down there and help me entertain a restless Avatar because this storm isn't going to let up soon and I've already tried to kill one Avatar I don't want to make it two."

Mako snorted. "Aren't Asami and Bolin helping?"

"Asami has been looking over schematics and not so subtly leaving them places for me to find and loudly saying how amazing some of her products are. Bolin keeps saying he should practice his acting. Neither of these things distract Korra."

"I'll come help."

"Good, and Kid? Brooding is fine, just don't let it take over your life."

"Noted, sir."

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